Saturday, July 27, 2024
Tarrant County Criminal District Court 2 is one of four criminal trial courts in Tarrant County. The incumbent, Judge Wayne Salvant, is not running for reelection. Glynis McGinty and William Knight are facing off for this seat in the March 5 Republican primary and spoke during a Feb. 12 Republican candidate fair and forum hosted at Rockwood Golf Course in Fort Worth.
Glynis McGinty
McGinty is currently the chief prosecutor over the election integrity unit at the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office. McGinty began by describing her history as a defense lawyer, prosecutor and municipal court judge and how her experience is applicable to the problems faced by Criminal District Court 2.
“Criminal District Court 2 has the largest backlog of cases currently in the Tarrant County courthouse,” McGinty said. “There are over 2,500 pending cases in that courthouse. A lot of those individuals are clogging up our jails. Having served in the various capacities I have over the years, let me tell you I’m old but I’m not that old. I started college when I was 16, and finished in three years while working two jobs all the way through. I started law school when I was 19 years old. I was 21 when I graduated law school. I’m old because I’ve been around a long time but I’m not old enough to not be able to do this job. I was honored when your elected D.A. Bill Sorrels asked me if I would consider running this particular unit. It is a premier unit. No other district attorney’s office in the state of Texas has this unit. Bill Sorrels, Sheriff Bill Waybourn and County Judge Tim O'Hare promised this on the election trail, and they asked me to run that unit and I take pride in that.”
McGinity described being hesitant to accept the position at first and needing to speak with her pastor and family on the issue. Ultimately, she agreed to accept the position in order to help establish the new unit in 2023 in order to set the policies and procedures her successors may use going forward. McGinty claimed to be a major advocate for election integrity, having spoken to approximately 120 individuals about the topic at the Haltom Senior Center earlier that day. With the unit now established, McGinty decided to run for the judge’s office.
“It is so important that you put someone on this bench that has the experience to run this bench,” McGinity said. “It’s going to take someone that knows how to get in there, is knowledgeable, is tried, is proven. I am a lifelong Republican. I am on the board of Fort Worth Republican Women where I served for many years. I am a founding member of Tarrant Star Republicans. I am not new to this game.”
William “Bill” Knight
Knight is a felony prosecutor with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office. He expressed his pleasure to be in a room full of fellow Republicans.
“You know I think it’s really fun to be in a room with Republicans, like-minded people who care about their state and their country,” Knight said. “If I asked you what the best state was you’d say Texas, right? But if you really thought about why that is what would you say? Is it because we wear boots and say ‘yeehaw?’ Is it because we don’t put beans in our chili? Is that what makes us the best state? Those are all good things. I think the things that make Texas great are that we have small government, and we have law and order. It’s something we don’t talk enough about as a party. There’s a bright line difference between conservatives and liberals and Republicans and Democrats. Look at the difference between Fort Worth and Seattle during coronavirus, Seattle on fire, or look at San Francisco. Walgreens doesn’t do business in San Francisco anymore because they don’t have the rule of law there. That’s crazy.”
Knight went on to explain his belief that the rule of law is necessary for the pursuit of happiness. He stressed that his experience as the only career prosecutor in Tarrant County’s district attorney’s office makes him a uniquely suited candidate for the office he is running for.
“Bill Sorrels says I’m the hardest working prosecutor there,” Knight said. “That’s quite a statement considering all the really intelligent, hard-working people in our DA’s office. I’m the only person in this race who is board certified in criminal law. I put five murderers in prison last year and I put another one in prison last month. Two of those cases were back-to-back life sentences from Tarrant County jurors.”
Knight then described the details of the case, how a man was murdered in front of his wife at a grocery store and how Knight is proud the man will never get out of prison.
